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I was worried about reversed polarity?


Don Madge

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A couple of years ago, I arrived on a site in Portugal and plugged in my mains lead at the allocated bollard. By chance the following morning, I felt the connector that plugged into the motorhome and it was hot !

I removed it double quick and found that burning discolouration had occurred around the female connectors.

On reporting the matter to reception, a guy came over and just shrugged and reconnected my lead to another bollard. There was no question about taking the faulty supply out of commission. 

I always check the polarity and supply voltage with a meter now when travelling abroad.

I also carry two commercial sized CO2 fire extinguishers in the motorhome permanently.

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This has reminded me of a site in Croatia where they went to the other extreme.

I booked in and they said someone would be along to ' connect the electricity ' but after a bit of delay I just put the plug into a bollard myself.

 

Then a chap turned up on a moped and was most upset that I, as an unqualified electric lead connector, had taken it upon myself to plug in.

 

It was made clear that when I left the site I would need to give the site office notice so that a qualified unplugger could come along and disconnect the supply.

 

(There were no locked cupboards involved so I can only assume it was some sort of 'union' demarcation situation).

 

Mind you, if I'd been on Dons' site I might have preferred someone else to do the job.

 

 

 

 

:-|

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Looks like the box on the La Paz site where we stayed in Sept. I was (well 'spose i still am) an electrician in a previous incarnation, so i checked the polarity and found it to be reversed so instead of trying a different outlet i thought i'd be clever and reverse the socket. Over confidence and rushing to get set up before the the upcoming tunderstorm i took the socket apart and went to unscrew the connectors but forgot that i'd left it plugged in but not for long, a sharp reminder through the fingers soon let me know. Perhaps it was my colourful language that persuaded the brits on the next plot to move away. Not my first shock but it certainly a good reminder to me, familiarity breeding contempt etc :$
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you dont need to take the socket apart, just turn it through 180 degrees and plug it in upside down. Easy to do as these plugs only have 2 pins. Personally I carry 2 short adapters, one wired for normal, one for reverse polarity. But have still put in plug upside down on occasions.
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